Mass Effect: Rapture - Spartan
by Weskron
Summary: The Origin of the ME: Rapture Character Spartan. Shortly after the events of the first game, an unknown enemy begins to threaten Shepard's loved ones and livelihood, prompting immediate action. Another dumb story I wrote a few years ago and decided to post it for funsies.


Mass Effect: Spartan.

2183 – Very Shortly After Mass Effect 1.

"Commander Sam Shepard, I don't expect you to know who I am. Not many do. What you should know is that… you have ruined my life. And I will destroy yours. Your precious friend, Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya is now in my… care for the time being. You may find me on Illium at the Eternity Bar at a table. You will wear casual clothing, no armor. You will not mention anything about this to anyone else. You will speak only to me and the waiter at our table. We will discuss this like gentlemen."

"You may call me Spartan. And I will see you 8:00 PM two days from now, Commander. Don't be late."

That is the message Shepard had gotten last night when the ship was getting refueled. Someone had made off with Tali, an energetic Quarian that many crewmembers knew that Shepard had… grown feelings for. It was a vid that showcased the stoic Batarian Spartan, with his red and black armor.

Shepard was already on Illium at this point, walking into The Eternity Bar wearing an N7 leather jacket, a t-shirt, and jeans. The Commander walks over to a table and sits down, ordering a drink from the waiter who approaches him immediately. He opens his Omni tool to read up on the profile of 'Spartan'.

_Spartan_

_STATUS – ACTIVE_

_THREAT LEVEL – VERY DANGEROUS_

_Minimal information is known about Spartan. He is an assassin, mercenary, information broker, black operative, special operative, thief, murderer, and most likely former or possibly current Batarian Military. _

_Incredibly dangerous and unstable. Known for being excessively violent in any of his operations, yet calculated and clean. Expensive to hire, yet effective._

_One of the most dangerous criminals in Citadel Space and The Terminus._

Commander Shepard sneers as he reads the profile. He knows the type of person this Spartan is. A mercenary who's gotten a bloated head. He'll be easy enough to dispatch. At least, he'll be nothing compared to a Geth Hunter or anything of that sort.

So he waits as he sips his drink occasionally, his stomach in knots as he begins to think about what Spartan could have done to Tali. His Tali. His friend and… a special person to him. It's about all that his mind has been thinking of, his mind being consumed by rage and sadness. She could be dead. She could be hurt. If he has done anything to her…

Shepard shakes his head. He can't think like that. If he thought like that any other time during his life, he wouldn't be here today, as the first human spectre. He taps his fingers on the table as he begins to grow impatient. Where the hell was he?

Badum…BOOOM!

The Commander along with every other customer and employee at the bar ducked in cover as a building in the distance explodes, glass and small pieces of debris reaching them but not much else, aside from the reverb of the explosion.

Shepard, in shock, looks over to the building with his mouth hanging open. He feels something land lightly on his shoulder. He turns up to see a Batarian with brown skin looking down at him with a slight smile. Shepard looks at his armor, something looking almost cybernetic in nature and realizes that this is the same armor that Spartan wore.

"Y…y-you. You did this," Shepard stammers out as he looks up to the Batarian. He stands up. "You murdered all those people."

Spartan smirks, shaking his head. He points to Shepard. "No, you did this to them."

Shepard grabs Spartan and pushes him up against a nearby wall. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"I sent you a message last night detailing that bombs were going to go off a short time after our scheduled meeting. I gave you full range to stop the bombs from blowing up. You didn't do it," Spartan is still smirking, his fangs showing through between his lips. "Déjà vu, eh?"

"Wh-what?"

"Oh yes. You were so caught up in your own personal affairs; you couldn't even read your own email. You fucked up and caused that over there. You could've saved them, boy scout."

Shepard bares his teeth and pulls back his fist and shoots it out, but Spartan moves his head out of the way of the incoming strike, and Shepard's hand smashes against the wall, causing him to recoil. Spartan retaliates with a punch to Shepard's right side and quickly hooks up into his jaw with his right hand. He begins to stumble back, but Spartan grabs his face and slams it into the bar counter to the right of both of them.

Shepard falls to the ground, dazed, but quickly recovers and rolls back onto his feet, blocking an incoming jab from the Batarian and retaliating with two short punches to the ribs of his opponent. He throws another punch, uppercutting Spartan in the jaw, but before the mercenary can fall back, Shepard grabs his arm and shoulder and wrenches him straight into the wall separating the lounge and the lounge near the large window. As he slams against it, Shepard grabs his arm again, pulls him back and tackles him into the wall.

Spartan then wraps his left arm around throws two punches into Shepard's side and then slams his forearm into Shepard's bent back, knocking him to his knees. The Commander grabs his legs and flips him over his back, but the mercenary rolls straight back onto his haunches, stopping himself from sliding back by crouching down low and placing one hand on the ground.

The two, now crouched down low, stand up and stare at each other in the eyes.

"Where is Tali?" Shepard growls.

"Where are the families of those who have died under your protection and command, Shepard? Where are the ones that you have neglected?" Spartan bares his sharp teeth. "In the bottom of a bottle, wasted away, dead. Take your pick."

The idea that Tali could possibly be dead… or injured by this psychopathic maniac…

Shepard nearly growls as he runs forward, putting his left arm out in front of himself. Spartan tries to retaliate, but Shepard's already slammed him back into the bar counter. Shepard holds him down with his left forearm and jabs Spartan straight in the face. He throws two right hooks and, taking his left arm out, he throws one last left one, however, Spartan catches the final one and he is able to throw Shepard back into the counter next to him. Spartan then begins to rattle his body with punches, causing Shepard to cough slightly, the taste of blood on his tongue.

The Commander then grabs a glass with his right hand, smashing The Batarian in the face with it. Shepard then leans to the left, grabs a metal barstool, and slams it into the mercenary as he begins to fall to the left. Spartan stumbles back and drapes his body over the table. Shepard walks over and tries to elbow his opponent in the back of the head, but Spartan then throws the table into the spectre. Shepard falls back and recovers from the feeble attack to see Spartan on the edge of the balcony, putting away his omni tool as a hovercar approaches. Shepard then jumps to his feet, sprinting toward Spartan as he gets situated in the front seat. The mercenary then looks at his enemy approaching quickly and tries to close the door, but Shepard jumps into the car, landing on him as the door closes. The car then shakes lightly, starting to go to its predetermined destination.

The car zooms through the skyline, Shepard and Spartan both trying to situate themselves so they can fight one another. Shepard finally gets into the 'shotgun' seat and reaches over, grabbing the Batarian by the shoulder and punching him in the jaw and the side of the head several times before Spartan leans out of the way of one punch and headbutts the Commander.

Spartan opens and reaches into the glove compartment and wraps his hand around a pistol, but Shepard then slams the glove compartment closed around his wrist, causing the Batarian to grunt in pain.

Shepard spins around on his seat so his back is against the side and shoots his feet out, kicking Spartan's head against the other side of the car with his powerful legs. And for good measure, he does it one more time, opening up a cut on The Batarian's head. He tries for one more time, but he accidentally hits a switch as they begin to land at their destination, a warehouse complex. The hovercar shakes and then begins to veer off course, smashing through the wall of the warehouse and into the main floor.

The Commander regains consciousness some time later, still inside the wreckage of the smoking car. He feels blood seeping out of a few minor wounds on his body and one on his head. He groans, turning over and crawling slowly out, grabbing at the warm pieces of metal jutting out to pull himself along. Finally, he is able to climb out, sliding on the smooth floor of the warehouse as he regains his breath. His head tilts to the side and there he sees Tali, tied to a pole via chain, struggling against her bounds.

"T-Tali…" Shepard groans, steadily pushing himself to his feet.

"Shepard! Shepard look-"

And then Spartan rears up behind the Commander, slamming him in the back with a piece of debris. Shepard falls to his knees before being hit again, falling flat on his face and turning over onto his back, barely clinging onto consciousness at this point.

"Now… I'm gonna kill you… and then I'm gonna kill your Quarian friend. Then I'll kill all of your other friends that I can find. I will destroy your life just like you did mine!" Spartan roars, whipping out his pistol.

Shepard, in a last, desperate move to live, kicks his foot up and knocks the pistol out of Spartan's hand, the weapon flying through the air and landing near Tali. Then, with that same foot, Shepard pushes it out as hard as he can, pushing the Batarian back to the hole their car made, the hole that leads to nothing but air and a huge drop, but he catches himself before he falls.

"Nice try, Shepard. I'll give you this, you are a fighter. But now… it's time for-" As he hefts up the debris in his hands, a shot rings through the air and slams into his shoulder, not breaking through his shields or armor, but the impact of the high impact shot causing him to stumble back through the hole. He tries to yell something out but he is already falling away from them.

Shepard looks over to see Tali shooting him with her bound hands. She was probably trying to go for the head but missed, due to her being tied up. She then turns the gun downward and shoots her bindings, breaking her free and allowing her to scramble over to Shepard.

"Shepard? Sam? Are you there?" Tali rambles, sending for the Normandy to come pick them up with her omni-tool.

Shepard attempts to nod. "Yeah. Just a little… banged up. I'm just gonna… ergh…"

"You idiot! You could have gotten yourself killed trying to save me!" Tali nearly screeches, a sob making it through her voice.

"You know… a thank you would be nice… possibly a hug or something…"

Tali looks down at Shepard and pulls him close to her. And Shepard closes his eyes and smiles, wrapping one arm around her as they hold each other. It won't last forever, but… at least they can enjoy it now.

END.


End file.
